CEROMANCY
What is Ceromancy (Wax Divination)?
Ceromancy (also known as carromancy) is a European folk divination that drips melted candle wax into water and reads omens from the shapes it forms as it cools and hardens, or from the way the candle flame flickers. It has been used for near-term questions such as love or everyday either-or decisions.
Overview
- System
- Omen Reading (reads from the shapes of hardened wax or the flicker of the flame)
- Origin
- Europe
- What You Need
- Candle wax (a symbolic random draw is used as a substitute)
- Best For
- Love, life, either-or decisions
- Time Frame
- Near term
Origins & History
Ceromancy is a European folk divination that reads the shape formed when melted candle wax is dripped into cold water, or reads the way the flame flickers. In Russia it is said to have been a traditional Christmas custom, and there are also records suggesting that Celtic priests around the 5th century poured ceremonial wax into water to read omens.
Records setting out a systematic set of interpretive rules are scarce, and the meaning assigned to a given shape varies by region and by the person reading it. In some regions it remains a popular pastime for New Year’s Eve or Christmas today.
How It Works
- 01Decide on a single question to ask (such as love or an everyday either-or choice).
- 02Melt candle wax and drip it into a bowl of cold water.
- 03Check the shape the wax forms on the water’s surface, or the way the candle flame flickers.
- 04Read the symbolic meaning of the shape or flicker in light of your question.
What It Reveals
It is well suited to giving a light answer to near-term questions, such as the course of a romance or an everyday either-or decision. Because it relies on the simple mechanism of reading the shape wax happens to form as it hardens, and no systematic interpretive rules have been firmly established, it is not a divination for those seeking rigorous grounding, but is better enjoyed in the spirit of a seasonal pastime.
Related Methods
References
- Wikipedia: Carromancy (Ceromancy) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carromancy)